Local Authority alliance helps over 5,000 people develop skills

Over 5,000 people of all ages and from all parts of the region have been given support by the East Midlands Property Alliance’s (empa) Training Academy to develop their skills.

40 of the 46 local authorities in the East Midlands are currently participating in empa, which is a joint collaboration set up in 2008 to improve the delivery of property services in their communities.

Since April, contractors on the frameworks, including Nottinghamshire based construction contractor Robert Woodhead Limited have:

• provided 114 people access to professional and academic qualifications.

Christopher Richards is one apprentice that has benefited from empa’s approach. He was taken on by Robert Woodhead Ltd, one of the several suppliers appointed to the Minor Works Framework in Nottinghamshire.

Christopher is currently involved in a school refurbishment after working on six day care centre refurbishments across Nottinghamshire. He attends West Nottinghamshire College to complete a Carpentry & Joinery course.

Speaking about his involvement with empa and Robert Woodhead, Christopher commented: “I’ve been able to work towards a professional qualification which is great, and can put what I learn at college into practice on site. I work closely with Site Managers on a variety of projects including heritage and conservation as well as refurbishments and new builds.

“Having been involved in various schemes as a young apprentice, I’ve been really inspired to progress within the industry and one day hope to be a qualified Site Manager. This experience has really made me want to take every chance I can to develop my skills, and I’m pleased to have been given this opportunity.”

The empa Training Academy is operated by Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Futures on behalf of Scape and the East Midlands Property Alliance. For further details, visit www.scapebuild.co.uk / www.em-pa.org.uk / www.futuresnn.co.uk .

Alan Coole, Development Director at Nottingham-based Scape, the public sector organisation which manages empa, said: “We’re fully committed to making sure our contractors and consultants do as much as they possibly can to support the local economy. That includes using local companies and why we encourage them to offer job, training and learning opportunities to people in an area local to a scheme being delivered.

“These results are really encouraging. As a local authority controlled company, it is very important to us that we support our local communities. By creating jobs for local people, particularly those just starting out in their careers, and in generating opportunities for smaller suppliers, we are really making a difference to those living and working across the region.”